Nationality American Structures Oracle Arena Role Architect | Name John Merrill Occupation Architect | |
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Born August 10, 1896 ( 1896-08-10 ) Saint Paul, Minnesota Awards 1950 Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) Practice Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Died June 13, 1975, Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States Education University of Wisconsin-Madison, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Similar People Louis Skid, Nathaniel A Owings, Myron Goldsmith, Edward Charles Bassett | ||
John Ogden Merrill Sr. (10 August 1896 – 13 June 1975) was an American architect and structural engineer. He was chiefly responsible for the design and construction of the United States Air Force Academy campus and for the development of Oak Ridge, Tennessee where the atomic bomb was developed. He was a founding partner of the international architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
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Early life
Merrill was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He studied at the University of Wisconsin from 1915 through 1917. His education was interrupted by his war time service in the military. During World War I, he served as a Captain in the coastal artillery. When released from the military in 1919, he continued his education. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology awarded him a degree in architecture in 1921.
Career
The Chicago architectural firm of Granger and Bollenbacher gave Merrill his first opportunity to practice architecture, and by 1939, Merrill had become the chief architect for the Midwest States for the Federal Housing Administration.
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Merril joined Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) in 1939. He is credited with establishing the multi-disciplinary nature of the firm, and the innovative character of SOM’s organization and culture was influenced at an early stage by Merrill and other architectural engineers who later became partners in the practice. SOM defined a new architectural approach of teamwork and total or comprehensive design.
The firm undertook the coordination of every aspect of a specific project – design, engineering, landscaping, urban planning and interiors. Major military projects with which Merrill was associated include:
Merrill's death in Colorado Springs, Colorado was reported in the New York Times on June 13, 1975.
Community leadership
Merrill was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA); In 1937, he was president of the Chicago Chapter of the AIA. In 1950, Merrill was appointed as a member of the Board of Consultants to the New York State Building Code Commission; and he directed revision of the Chicago Building Code in 1947–1949.
Among Merrill's interests outside his profession was his support for Friends of the Earth. In 1969, he lent his name to a campaign to encourage men and women to pledge that they would not buy fur coats or any other articles made from skins of wild animals.
Honors
Select works
Merrill's published writings are few.